Printing-machine.



No-.'77 7,8 9 8. v ZPALTENTED DBO, 20,' 1904.,

' QWHOUGHTON.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,1903. I Y H 0 MODEL. v I I 'LSKEE'LTS-SHEET 1.

} lawn/0k: C Wi ly/ b ow PATENTED DEG. 20,1904.

' 0. W HOUGHTON.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 19 03.

7 SHEETS SHEE'I 2.

N0 MODEL,

"No. 777,898. P TENTED DEG. 2b, 1904.

v 0. HOUGHTON.

PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION rxL'mf JULY 27, 1903.

- 'TSHEETSSHEET a.

N0 MODEL.

No. 777,898. PATENTBD 15Ec. "2'o,f19p4 v I C. W. HUUGHTON. I Q PRINTING MACHINE. v

, APPLIGATIONYIILED JULY 27,1903. v no MODEL. I v "1 snnn'r s sg nm 4.

PATENTBD DEC. 20, 1904.

0. W. 'HOUGHTONQ 'PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1903.

7 SHEETSSHBET B N0 MODEL.

1/502 r; i W.Zu 7wm paw-Ce) 1 0- MODEL.

- c. w, HOUGHTbN. PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1903.

. PATENTED DEG.2J)'.1904.

' as seen from the opposite side of the machine.

Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES w. HOUGHTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' PRiNTING-MACHINE.

SPIECIFICA'ILIQN- forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,898, dated Decemher 20, 1904.

Application filed July 27, 1903. Serial No. 167,018.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. HOUGHTON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented-eertain-new and useful Improvements in Printing-Machine's; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a. partot' tli is specification.

This' invention relates to a novel printing apparatus designed more especially for the printing of letters, circulars, &c., and of that class in which the printing-typc are mounted upon a rotative cylinder and in which the paper is pressed against the type by an impressionroller.

The present invention includes improvements in means for securing the type to the cylinder of such a machine, improvements in? means for inking thetype, means for controlling the feed of the paper to the type-cylinder, means for separately printing addresses and signatures, and to other features of cofistru'c' tion in machines of the character setft rth.

The invention consists in the matters tiereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims. l 1

As shown inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, taken through the eentral axisfof the type-cylinder, on line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-Sectional view of the machine, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4- is an enlarged detail view, in side elevation, of the lower part of the type-cylinder, the impression-roller, and means for supporting the imprcssion-roller, together with parts concerned in the control of the paper-feed. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the parts shown in Fig. i

Fig. 7 is an end view of the machine, showing the side thereof opposite to that shotvn in Fig. 1, the frame being broken away t p-show parts behind the; same. Fig. 8 is a' detail view of the parts shownin Figs. {and (Si-taken on the section-line of Fig. i. Fig. 9 is a detail section taken on the section-line 9 9 of Fig.

8. Fig. 10 is a detail section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 12 and illustrating the means for securing the type thereto. Fig. 11 isa perspective view of one, end of one of the typeholdi'ng bars. Fig. 12is adetail face view, on an enlarged scale, of part of the cylinder, showing the means for "attaching the type thereto. Fig. 13 is a perspective viewof a holding or securing bar by'which the typecarrying bars are held in place on the cylinder. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the parts concerned in looking. from movemefit the rotative parts of the address printing mechanism. Fig. 15' is an enlarged detail end view of part of the type-cylinder, illustrating" the typeinkingmechanism, a portion of the side frame being broken away to show the inking-rollers. Fig. 16 is adetail section taken upon line 16 16 of Fig. 15.

As shown in-saiddrawings, the frame of the machine consists of two vertically-arranged parallel side frame-pieces A 'A, which are connegated by cross-rods or girthsauf. Attachedto and extending between said frame-pieces -isaitransverse horizontal shaft B. On said heft is mounted the type-cylinder, which conists of two heads 0 C, which are mouhted on the ends of the shaft B inside of the frameplatesAA' and turn on said shaft, and a curved t ypesupporting plate C w ich'is attached at its side edges to the said leads 0 C. Said heads are shown as provided with inwardlyprojecting annular flanges c c, to the outer surfaces ofi which the plate (f is secured by means of screws 0 D indicates the impression-roller, which is arranged parallel with the type-cylinder, beneath the latter. Said-impression-roller is attached to a shaft D, the ends of which project from the ends of the roller and which are mounted in bearing-recesses formed in two levers E E", each of which is pivoted at one end to'the adjacent frame-plateot the machine and supported at its opposite end by means of a coiled spring, the springs supporting the two levers being indicated in the drawings by F'F' and aslinade'of coiled form. The rollersupporting levers E E are shown as pivoted main parallel with the axis of the type-cylinposition to press the paper against the type thc'type-cylinder without making an impresidly in parallel relation to each other, and the positively limiting the upward movement of to the frame-pieces A A by means of a transve'rse pivot-rod E, which is attached at its ends to the said levers and which passes through bearing-apertures in the frame-pieces.

The levers E E are rigidly secured to the shaft E so that said levers will be held rigaxis ofthe impression-roller will always reder. The springs F F serve to hold the impression-cylinder yieldingl y against the typecylinder during the operation of printing. In order that the surface of the impressionroller shall be maintained at a uniform distance from the type-cylinder and in proper on the cylinder; said cylinder is provided with two strips or, hands G G, which are applied over the segmental plate C at either side of the type upon the cylinder and which form concentric hearing-surfaces adapted to come in contact with the end portions of the im-. pression-roller 1) during the movement of the type past the impression-roller. The-strips G G are preferably made pf rubber-or like yielding material. Said 'stiiips not only serve to hold the impression-roller at a proper distance from the surface of the type-supporting plate (3, but also serve to insure rotation of the impression-roller, so that its surface will moveat the same speed as that. of the typeduring thep'rinting operation The said strips G G, may-be attached to the type-supporting plate C in any suitable manner; but as herein shown, Fig. 3, the ends of the strips are carried around the opposite edges of the said plate and are secured to the. inner surface of the plate by screws.

In order to enable the impression-roller to be thrown'downwardly away fi omthe typecyiinder at times when it is desired to rotate sion, 3. hand-lever H, Figs. 2 and 4, is pivoted to the side frame A above the lever E by means of a short shaft H, which passes through the said frame-piece, and inside .the framepiece is a cam-arm H, which is attached rigidly to the shaft H in position to act upon the lever E. Said hand-lever and associated parts act to depress the levers E and E and serve to hold the said levers depressed and the impression-roller in a depressed position eration of the machine. 'Provision is'made for rotating the cylinder by hand, embracing a gear-wheelC, which is mounted on the shaft B between thecylinder-head C and the frame piece A and is rigidly attached to the said a on the frame-piece A and provided insid'e of said frame-piece with a gear-pinion C The latter intermeshes with the gear-wheel U, and outside of said frame-piece the shaft C is provided with a crank U by which the shaft 0 may be turned and the type-cylinder thereby rotated.

Now referring, to the devices for controlling the feed of the machine-so that each sheetas it is fed to the machine will come in proper position with respect to the type on the typecylihder, devices are provided as follows: J

machine below the type-cylinder and in line with the path of the.sheets of paper which are fed to the-machine. feeding of the sheets, a feed-table K is provided. the same being located in position to direct the sheets over the impression-roller D and beneath the type-cylinder, as seen in Figs. '1 and 3. Said gage-bar J is provided at its ends witharms J J. The said arms J J are pivoted to the impression-roller-supporting levers'E E by means of pivot-studs j, as clea'rlysecn in Fig. 8, said studs being the pivotal axis of the impression-roller. The said gage-bar is adapted tobe swung upwardly downwardly and rearwardly to carry it below and out of the path of the paper. Said gagebar isshown as being made L shape in crosssection in order that it may have the necessary stiffness and as connected with the arms J and J by oblique portions j, the said bar,

preferably made integral with each other or of one piece of sheet metal. porting-arms, J of the gage-bar J is provided with a lever-arm J, which carries at its free end an antifriction-roller j, and a "coiled spring J is connected with said arm J and with the frame of the machine in such mannerthat the spring tends to throw said arm for when the cam-arm is thrown into position with its free end directed downwardly and in contact with the said lever E. i l

For the purpose of positively limiting the upward movement of the levers E E under the action of the springs F F, and thereby the impression-roller, set-screws I 1" Figs. 4 and 6, are inserted through lugs v' n on the inner surfaces of the frame-plates in position to hear at their lower ends against the said levers l and E. The type-cylinder is turned 5 continuously in one direction during the opi i l i q l i wardly and into position tohold said gage-bar in its operative position orin the path of the paper. The gage-bar is swung rearwardly and downwardly, so as to he on of the way of the type-supporting plate C an thetype thereon during the printingopcration, bythe action on the arm j-ofa camliange'( formed on and projecting outwardly from the outer face of the typc-cylindcr head (i. Said cam-flange C cxuinds'partially around the end of the typecylinder and is so arranged that when the gagehard is in itsopcrativc position, as seen in Fig.

4, and whcnthc type-cylinder reaches the point head 0, and ashaft C, mounted in a bearing indicates a gage-bar which extends across the To facilitate the iocated'at points in advance (referring to the direction of motion of the entering paper) of ion. .into a position above the impression-roller and in the path of the paper and to be thrown its supporting-arms, and the parts j:being One of the supimpression-roller and the feeding-strips G G where the printing is to begin the advance end of said cam iiange C will strike said arm J, as seen in Fig-4, and by its action on said arm will throw the same rcarwardly, as seen I in Fig. 1, until the said advance end of the cam-flange passes beyond the end of the said lever J, after which the roller j on the lever will ride on the outer face of the cam-flange, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and the' lat teriwill hold the lever at its rearward limitof its movement, and thereby maintain the gagebar J in its depressed or operative position during the time the printing is being accomplished. After the rear edge of the type-sup porting plate (3 has passed the impressionroller 1.) and the cam-flange passes away from the roller 7" the springd throws the gagebar upwardly into the space afl'ordcd therefor between the end margins of the type-supporting plate 0 am into the path of the paper.

Theshcets of paper to be printed are fed to the machine' one at each revolution of the type-cylinder, and the advance edges of the sheets-are brought into contact with the gagebar as the sheets are placed 'on the feed-table, so that the sheets will be gripped between the i and carried forward thereby when the margins of the sheets are in a desired position with respect to the type on the cylinder, the

gage-bar being thrown backwardly and de- 1 pressed out of the path of the sheets before i the latter are carried forward for printing.

'the type have been inserted or set .up

.The apparatus shown is more especially in-- tended for printing by the use of rubber type set up or secured in grooved type bars or holders. Each of said type-holding bars is arranged to hold a single line of type, and the sev-- eral bars are adapted to be detachably secured to the face of the type-cylinder after therein. Such grooved type holding bars are indicated in the drawings by L and are shown in Figs 3, 5, 10, 11, and 12.

The type-holding bars L, which are preferably made of sheet metah'are of U shape in cross-sectional form and have their side walls slightly convergent inwardly, so as to form type-holding grooves of dovetail form adapted to lirmly hold the rubber type inserted therein. The bases or bottom walls of the bars L are extended at the ends of the bars to form holding arms or projections l, Figfll,

by which the bars are held or secured upon the typecylinder. The said type-cylinder is,

provided on its side edges with flanges forminginwardly-facing grooves adapted 'to receive the said holding-arms l on the cndsol at type-bars.

metal M M", secured to the side margins of the type-suprmrtmg plate (.3 with their inner ,edges elevated above or separated from the The said flanges are convena. icntly formed by means of strips of sheet.

ings, the strips M M" are made of fiat sheet metal and are superposed uponnarrower like strips M M in such. manner that the strips M M overhang the inner margins of the strips M M, and thereby form 5 the said grooves. tion are made of metal of approximately the The strips M M in this construcsame thickness as that of which the typeholding bars L are formed, so that the projections Z Z on said bars will fit closely or tightly in the grooves formed by the overhanging edges of the said strips M M. The strips M M and M M are shown as secured to the type-cylinder by the screws do, which serve to secure the plate 0 to the cylinderheads C and O. The bearing-strips G G are shown as applied over the strips M and M.-

The type to be used for printing are placed or set up in the grooved-type-holding bars L, and the latter are then secured to the typecylinder joy inserting the end projections Z Z on the bars beneath the strips MM',-t he bars being slipped sidewisenntil the several bars are brought together or side by side.

To facilitate the placing or assembling-of the type-bars on the c'y indcr, the strip M at one side of the cylinder is provided'at its inner edge with a plurality of notches m, each just wide enough to permit the passage there:

through of the projections l l on the ends of the type-bars. The use of the said notches enables the bars to be inserted andremoved with a slight lateral movement only of .each bar, it being obvious that in inserting each additional bar'the notch nearest the bar last inserted may be utilized. The strips M M at both ends'of the cylinder may be provided with like notches ml m; but this is not necessary, because in-inserting each bar one. end

of the same maybe thrust beneath the unnotched strip M at one end of the cylinder and the other end then inserted through one of the notches m in the opposite strip M.

For holding or confining in place the several type bai-s, so as to prevent lateral move- IIO mcnt thereof on the type-cylinder, a construction is provided as follows: N, Figs. 12 and 13,

is a holding-bar made of spring or flexible metal and about equal in lengthto the typeholding bars. The ends of said bar N are face near its ends with .outwardLr-projccting lugs '11 and n. The lug u. is of proper width and shape to lit within the notches in; but

the lug 11' is of triangular form and adapted to engage one ot a series of .tri angular notches holding-bar N is made fleaiblaso that it mayadapted to enter the grooves beneath the strips M M; and said bar is provided on its outer itsendsm'aylie-inserted beneath and removed be bent into curved form. and when so bent line of the letter or article to be printed has been inserted, the holding-bar is then put in place against the said final ty pebar and serves to hold or confine all of the bars in place.

An inking device is provided for applying ink to the type, and in connection therewith provision is made for applying ink of different color to one or more lines of type, as is sometimes desired for printing a facsimile signature in a color 'resembling that of writ- .run in contact, therewith, while O 'is a separate inking-roller for applying an ink of different color. 0 O are two levers in which the ends of the main and secondary inkingrollers O and aremounted and which are pivoted between their ends to the side plates of the machine-frame, so that when one of the rollers is moved outwardly the other will move inwardly, and vice versa. the said rollers being so mounted on the levers that when one roller is in position for contact with the type the other roller will be away from or clear of the type. Coiled contractile springs O O are connected with the leversO O in such manneras to hold the main. inking-roller O. In the' shaft 0', the ends of which extend outwardlypasttheir bearings in the levers O and through notches a. in the frame-plates. The springs O are connected with the outer ends of said shaft and operate to draw the main inking-roller O inwardly and at the same time to keep the secondary inking-roller away from the type. For throwing the main inking-roller out of action and bringing the auxiliary inking-roller O temporarilyin position for action cam-plates l l are attached to the edges of the c 'vlinder-heads 3 and (3', with their curved outer edges in position to act on and lift or force outward the ends of the levers O O in, which the said roller is mounted. Said cam-plates l are shown as hcingadjustably secured to thecvhmler-heads by meansof screws 7) 7), which pass through curved slots 7) in the plates. indcr-hends is'shown asprovidcd with a series of screw-holcs 1' p, in cillier of which the screws 1 may he placed, as shown in'the detail view, Fig. 16, so asto enable the cam- Each of the cyh' plates to be placed at any desired position with respect to the type 0n the cylinder. The i inking-rollers may therefore be actuated by e the cam-plates P at any desired point in the movement of the type past the inking-rollers and a line or-lines of type at any point in the cylinder thereby supplied with ink of color different from that applied to the main body of the type. The device described is of especial utility in printing circulars or imitations of type-written letters. In cases of this kind a facsimile signature may be used and the auxiliary inking-roller arranged to apply ink of a desired color, 'difl'erent from that of the body of the letter or circular, to the line of type which prints such signature.

I have also provided in connection with the machine illustrated a device for printing succcssively on' a series of sheets a series or plurality of ditferent words, numbers, or characters-such, for instance, as names and addresses. For holding or carrying the type for printing such names and addresses I employ a chain Q, consisting of flexibly-connected type-holders, such as has heretofore been used in addressing-machines. The said chain of type-holders is mounted or trained over a series of guide-pulleys R R, mounted in the interior of the type-cylinder and over a mainsupporting-pulley S, which is mounted on the cylinder-adjacent to the edgeof the type-supporting plate (3 and which serves to support the several type-holders in position for printing. In the machine shown, which is designed for printing circular letters, the add ress-printing device extendssomewhat less thanhalfthe length of the type-cylinder and is located near one end thereof. For supporti ng the several guide-pulleys R. R and the supportingpulley S the type-cylinder is providcd with an intermediate disk C located between and parallel with the heads Cand C, and the pulleys R R are mounted on shaftsr1, which extend between the head C and disk C. -The pulley S is attached to a shaft S, which has bearings in the said head U and .disk C".- The said pulleys R R and S are shown as having flat faces for engagement with the several flat type-holders constituting the. chain Q.- in addition to the guide-pulleys R it an idler or tightener pulley R is provided which is located in contact with the exterior face of the chain and is adapted to take up any slack in the same. Thesaid pulley It is mounted in a shaft r, which slides at its ends in radial slots 1-", formed in the head U and disk (1". and coiled contractile springs r 1-" are applied to draw the shaft inwardly or in a direction to keep thcidler-puh le-y in contact with the chain.

Devices are provided for automatically moving or'shil'ting the chain (,2 so as to bring the l t 'peliolders successively in printing position i and l'orlockingorholdingtheholdersin place l duringtheprinting peration,as follows: The

supportirig-pulley S is-piouided with a plurality of radial pins or teeth corresponding in number with the number of fiat faces therethe arm "l has the eifect of turning the pulley S one step or far enough to bringanew typeholder in position for printing. On the end of the shaft S which projects beyond or out sideoi the head (3 is affixed a disk S, which turn s with said shaft and the pulley S. Said disk (3* is provided with a series of peripheral notches s, Fig. 14. U is a detent-lever which is mounted on the head C and is held by a spring U in engagement with one of said notches s. The adjacent side plate of the machine-frame is provided with a, cam projection orrib U, located in position for contact therewith of the dctent lever Uinthe rotation of the type-cylinder and which is so located and arranged that it acts to throw the said lever out of engagement with the disk S and to hold it free from said disk when the supporting-pulley and disk are being turned by the action of one of the teeth a and the arm T. It will of course be understood that. I

' adapted to receive and hold the type, means the devices for turning and automatically. lo'king the supporting-pulley S are arranged turn said pulley, and thereby shift the chain of type-holders atfa time after the supporting pulley S passes the impression-roller D and before. the said'pulley reaches the inkingroliers. 1 v

From the aboveit will be understood that in the operation elf the addressing attachment described -the chain of type-holders will be moved to bring the individual holders successively into'position for printing, will be locked orheld from movement while the impression Being made, and will then,be released alpd again moved preparatory to an other impression ateach rotation of the typecylinder. The printing of addresses may thus be automatically accomplished as the printing of letters or circulars progresses until all of the addresses set up in theholders oflthc chain have been printed. New chains may obviously he insci'tedinto the machine in succession to provide for .rinting a larger number of add rcsscs than can be provided for by the use of one'chain only. i

1 claim as my invention 1. A printing-machine'comprisingga rotative, scg rental type-supporting plate, a yieldinglyflLQpQrted impression-roller which is inlzcrmittingly rotated by contact therewith of ccncen trie segmental bearing-surfaces carried by the type-supporting plate, a feed-table arranged to direct the paper between the typesupporting plate and the impression-roller, and an inking-roller.

2; A printing-machi tive, segmental typesup'porting plate, a yieldingly-supported impression-roller, an inkingroller' a gage-bar which is movable into and out of the space between the ends of the typesupporting plate and the path of the paper," and means for operating said gage bar.

3. A printing-machine comprising a rotative, segmental type-supportingplate, means for securing the type to said plate, an impression'roller which is movable toward and from the supporting-plate, and means for yieldingly holding the impression-roller adjacent to the type-supporting plate, said type-supporting plate being provided with concentric bearingsurfaces adapted for contact with the ends of the impression-roller to intermittingly turn the latter and hold'it in proper relation to the type.

4. A printing machine comprising a rotative type-supporting plate, an impression,- roller, means for holding the same yieldingly adjacent to the type-supporting plate; and strips of rubber or like material appliedto the type-supporting plate and acting on the impression-roller to give intermitting rotative 1 movement to the same.

5. 'A printing-machine cornnsi ing a rota tive type-cylinder providedwith a segmental ty-pesupporting plate, grooved type bars 4m the ends of the cylinder adapted to engagethe said'lends of the typebars to hold the same in contact with said plate, an impression-roller -m0vable toward and from. the type-cylinder, "means for yieldingly holdingthe impressionroller adjacent to the type-cylinder and strips he comprising a rotaapplied to the type-cylinder exterior to the endsof the type-bars and adapted for contact with the impression-roller to turn the latter and hold it in the proper position with respect to the type.

6. A printing-machine comprising a rota-' tive, segmental type-supporting plate, an impression-roller located below the central axis of and-vertically movable toward and .flrom the type-Supporting plate, segmental strips carried by the type-supporting plate and acting on t e impression-roller to intermittingly turn thejlatter, springs applied to lift the impression-rollertoward the type-supporting plate, and s'et-screws -n the machine-frame affording adjustable sf l. ps to limit the movement of the impression-roll r toward the type-cylinder under the action f said springs.

7. A printing-machine comprising a rotative type-supporting plate, an impression roller located below the axis of the said plate, a feed-table for directing sheets of paper over the impression-roller, supporting-levers for nected with the machine-frame and rigidly connected with each other, and springs conpression-roller toward the type-plate, said IZC the impression-roller which are pivotally connccted with said levers for throwing the imtype-supporting plate being provided with which is movable into and out of the space between the ends of the type-supporting plate, and means for actuating said gagebar to throw the same into and out of the path of the paper.

9. A printing-machine comprising a r0ta-- tive, segmental type-supporting plate, an impression-roller, levers pivoted on the machineframe for supporting said roller, springs acting on said levers to throw the roller toward the type-supporting plate, a gage-bar which is pivoted'to said levers and ismovable into and out of the space between the ends of the type-supporting plate, and means for gi-ving oscillatory movement to said gage-bar.

10. A printing-machine comprising a rotative type-cylinder pi bvided with a segmental type-supporting plate, a yieldingl y-su p ported impression-.roller' located below the type-cylinder, pivotally-supported levers upon which said impression-roller is mounted, a feed-table for guiding the paper between the type-cylinder and the impressioni'oller, a gage-bar 3 which is pivotally mounted. on said levers and is ,movable into and out of the path ofthe paper, anactuating-arm attachedto said gagebar, a spring operating on the gage-bar to throw the same into the path of thepaper and 35 a cam on the type-cylinder acting on said actuating-arm to throw the gag -bar out of the path of the paper.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 aflix my signature, in presence 4 of two witnesses, this 2d day of July,.A. D. 

